


our jagged painful love

by TheFlirtMeister



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Child Abuse, Gen, Teeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 21:39:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11953173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFlirtMeister/pseuds/TheFlirtMeister
Summary: And Credence?Credence scrabbles for his sister's hand under the table, and when he finds it, he holds it tight.





	our jagged painful love

**Author's Note:**

> woo!!! i wrote this for a blogger i like, but im 2 scared 2 tag them but hopefully they see this!!

Modesty Barebone loses her canine tooth on a mouthful of bread that her mother serves up for dinner. She gives a shriek of surprise at the foreign object in her mouth, and then spits out the tooth, along with the mushed up bread, onto her plate. It lands with a clink, and Modesty leans over her plate, mouth open, and blood drools from her gums.

Chastity squeals, and pushes her own plate away from her, staring at her adopted sister in disgust. There is still a gap in her own mouth from where she lost one of her adult teeth, an accident with a street lamp, and a cruel boy who stuck out his foot.

Her mother hits her hard over the back of her head, Modesty going forward and her forehead slamming down onto the table. It hurts, and she gasps out in pain as her mother spits at her for wasting the bread.

And Credence?

Credence scrabbles for his sister's hand under the table, and when he finds it, he holds it tight.

-

That night, Modesty lies in bed, her hands between her thighs for warmth, and her head firm on the pillow. She is blank faced, and empty, and she hasn't cried, because she hasn't cried in years. Her mouth is sore, like someone has reached into her throat with claws.

Credence climbs into bed beside her, even though it's a sin for a boy and a girl, to share beds. Anything could happen, according to her mother. Modesty doesn't know what those things are, only that Credence is all angles, and his breath is hot on her neck.

Modesty rolls over, and stares into Credence's eyes. They are dark, and wet, and when he blinks, tears stick to his eyelashes.

“Here.” He whispers, and unfurls his palm. It's her tooth, shining bloody. “Put it underneath the pillow for the tooth fairy.”

“Tooth fairy isn't real.” Modesty whispers, and Credence leans closer, till their foreheads are pressed together.

“She is. I've seen her.” He replies, soft, and Modesty takes the tooth from his hand and holds it tight until it cuts into her palm.

-

In the morning the tooth has gone, and there is a folded flower made from one of the Second Salem leaflets. Modesty hides it underneath the loose floorboard underneath her bed, and wiggles the next loose tooth in her mouth happily.

-

Credence and Modesty walk the streets together, not talking, and not touching. Modesty hands out the leaflets, she knows that she's sweeter looking than Credence. Credence doesn't look up at people, he shies away from anyone that dare come close. Modesty skips ahead slightly, but always looks back at her brother, to show she's still with him.

She realises that there is a man watching them before Credence does. He's tall, with dark hair streaked with grey, like when you suddenly spot a rainbow in an oil spill. Modesty stares at him, not blinking, and the man stares back, blank faced.

“It's rude to stare.” Credence chastises her gently, and Modesty steps back, leaning against Credence. She still does not blink.

“He stared first.” She mumbles, and then looks down at the remaining leaflets in her hands.

She marches across to the man before Credence can grab hold of her arm, thrusting one of the leaflets into the man's face. He blinks, and Modesty feels pleased that she won.

“Save America.” She says breathlessly, and the man takes the leaflet.

“I will.” He promises, and his eyes flick to Credence.

-

It snows, which proves that New York is full of heathen sinners. Modesty presses her face against the upstairs window, smushing her nose and mouth against the glass until they're flattened completely. She watches the fat snowflakes fall from the sky, landing onto the carpeted ground below, not melting, not vanishing.

Her mother catches her being idle, and grabs her by the skinny part of her arm, where it's easiest to dig the fingernails into. She drags Modesty down the stairs, Modesty skinning her knees on the rough wood when she falls, and makes her bend over one of the kitchen chairs.

The spanking is rough, on the back of Modesty thighs, so she won't be able to sit down for days, but Modesty closes her eyes, and thinks of the snowflakes. With each hit, brightness explodes behind her eyes, like fireworks.

“I am a snowflake.” Modesty thinks to herself, as her thighs scream out in agony. “I am going to disappear one day, and nobody will think about me.”

It's comforting, but some part of Modesty feels like it shouldn't be.

-

One night, its so cold that Modesty thinks she's going to die. She can't feel her toes, or her fingers, or even the nose on her face, not even when she presses it into the pillow. She lays there, in the darkness, listening to her mother snoring in the next room.

And then she clambers out of bed, and climbs in beside Chastity.

“Get out you worm.” Chastity hisses, and she's just as cold as Modesty feels. Modesty wraps her arms around her nevertheless, and buries her cold nose into Chastity's armpit.

“You little-!” Chastity starts, and there's a coughing from Credence. “Don't you start.”

“I'm not starting anything.” Credence says, his voice low in the room. Modesty hears him clambering out of bed, shuffling across the floor, and then his body is pressed up against hers.

“Get out of my bed.” Chastity says, but she's not as angry as she was before.

“I'm cold.” Modesty whines, and Credence pokes her in the side.

“Complaining won't help.” He whispers, and Modesty giggles for the first time in months.

The three of them lay there, cuddled up together like children, and fall asleep.

-

Modesty is searching through Credence's things when she finds it. She shouldn't be looking at all his secrets, but she discovered how to pull out one of the bricks in the cellar where she knows Credence often hides. It takes her several goes to tug the brick from its resting place, but eventually she does it.

She finds some pretty stones, a boiled pink sweet still in its wrapping, a card from someone named Porpentina, and then, right at the back, she finds her old tooth. It's stained dark with her blood, and Modesty pulls it out from its resting place, turning it over in her hand.

And then she starts to cry.

“Modesty?” Credence calls, and Modesty slides to the floor, sitting there with her knees pulled up to her chin, sobbing. “Modesty, are you okay-”

Credence appears in front of her, and his voice is hurt. “Why are you looking through my things?”

Modesty holds out her hand, and shows him the tooth nestled in her palm.

“Oh.” Credence says, and kneels down so he's face to face with her. “Why are you crying?”

“I thought it might have been real.” Modesty whispers, tears spilling into her open mouth. “I thought the tooth fairy would have seen- seen that I was good. And that I didn't mean the things I say.”

“ _Oh_ Modesty.” Credence says, and pulls her into a tight hug, long limbs enveloping her. “I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.”

Modesty Barebone cries, and realises that nobody is coming to save her.

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> comment and modesty will appear in fbawtft 2, because what the fuck, how can they just abandon her like that


End file.
